Calls were made today for Bradford to make a splash on the British sports scene by building an Olympic-size swimming pool in the city.

But a political row has broken out over the proposal, with some saying it could jeopardise the city's nearest competitive facility, which is about to be rebuilt at the South Leeds Stadium.

Bradford Liberal Democrat leader Councillor Jeanette Sunderland has called on the ruling Conservative group to be ambitious and find the cash to make Bradford a centre of swimming excellence.

She said that instead of looking to build a new leisure pool the money could better spent on a larger facility.

Coun Sunderland (Lib Dem, Idle and Thackley) has written to Councillor Anne Hawkesworth, Bradford's executive portfolio holder for the environment, calling on the city to "aim higher" than a ordinary leisure pool.

But Coun Hawkesworth (Con, Ilkley) said Bradford had always supported the regional facility in Leeds and should not now try to compete for funding with it.

She said: "We are very much geared towards a regional facility; Leeds has that Olympic size pool and it has just received funding for a rebuild.

"Sport England is where we get the majority of that money from and it is supporting this regional initiative, so the possibility of it supporting anyone else next door is nil."

But Coun Sunderland urged the authority to think big.

"Bradford's Conservatives are so unambitious for our area," she said.

"Rather than going for the small option we should take up the challenge issued by Bill Sweetenham, the national performance director for swimming, and go for a 50-metre Olympic pool.

"He wants eight centres of excellence. I see no reason why Bradford should not be one of them."

Coun Hawkesworth hit back saying any attempt by Bradford to win a pool for itself could put the so-called 'strategic pool' in Leeds, which is used by Bradford swimmers, at risk.

"If we were to pursue that line we would have to commit ourselves to one or another, and we feel that would jeopardise the strategic pool," she said.

David Gent, regional director for Sport England in Yorkshire, said the funding body was in talks with Bradford Council to provide a pool, but it would not be an Olympic-sized one because of the cost.

He said: "For the foreseeable future there is only going to be one 50-metre pool in West Yorkshire."